NY mezuzot burned on Holocaust Day

Vandalism of 11 Jewish religious objects in apartment building in Brooklyn investigated as hate crime. 'This is a sickening act of prejudice that strikes at the very core of who we are as a city,' says public advocate

Eleven mezuzot were found burned in an apartment building in Brooklyn on Monday morning, and the vandalism is under investigation as a hate crime – especially in light of its timing – Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Nothing but hatred can explain why someone would burn mezuzahs on Yom Hashoah, the day we remember the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

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According to a report by CBS New York, The building in South Williamsburg is home to a community of Orthodox Jews who said they’ve been victimized by hate.

Police Arson and Explosion Squad and FDNY investigators were looking at the damage for clues.

"This is a sickening act of prejudice that strikes at the very core of who we are as a city," de Blasio said in a statement. "Make no mistake: We will find those responsible," he added, urging anyone with information about the incident to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers line.

In 2010, the central synagogue in the French town of Mulhouse was burned down
on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, raising suspicions that it was an act of arson.

The building caught fire during Shabbat prayers and sustained heavy damages. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

"The proximity of the event to Holocaust Remembrance Day raises speculation, especially since there is a very large Muslim population around here," a Jewish community member estimated at the time.